Tag: Ohio County

July Flooding Brings $10 Million in Damages

Last weekend’s flash flooding in northern and north-central West Virginia has caused over $10 million dollars in damages.

Eleven counties are facing damage costs totaling $10,604,778, according to the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

Doddridge County has the lowest damage cost at $60,000, while Marshall County has the highest at $3 million.

Additional counties impacted by flooding were Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor, Ohio, Wetzel, Randolph, and Tucker counties.

The Division of Highways says personnel have been sent out to continually review the roads and damage costs could rise.

Rain began late Friday, July 28 resulting in high, rushing water. Eight counties were declared a state of emergency by Governor Jim Justice. Members of the National Guard were sent to aid affected communities.

Big Increase Seen in W.Va. Needle Exchange Program

Health officials say more than 8,300 new syringes have been distributed in the nearly two years that a needle exchange program has been operated in a West Virginia city.

The Intelligencer reports that nearly 6,000 of the clean needles have been given out in the past nine months by the Wheeling-Ohio County Board of Health Department. That’s more than double the number from the exchange program’s initial year.

Health Department administrator Howard Gamble says the exchange program has been going well.

The health department conducts the off-site program at a Northwood Health System facility from noon to 3 p.m. every Friday. Operating a one-for-one free exchange, health personnel accept used needles and can give out an equal number of sterile syringes.

West Virginia Business College to Remain Open During Appeal

West Virginia Business College will remain open as a judge’s last-minute reprieve has allowed it while the school appeals state officials’ order to close.

The Intelligencer reports the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education ordered the college to close by June 30 after the school lost its accreditation. Ohio County Circuit Judge David Sims granted a stay of the order after attorney Ron Kasserman filed documents arguing that the U.S. Department of Education no longer recognizes the college’s accrediting agency, the Accrediting Council on Independent Colleges and Schools.

U.S. education department spokesman Al Betancourt says the college can continue participating in federal financial aid programs.

Three former students have sued the college, contending that the degrees awarded last month are worthless because of the lack of accreditation.

Ohio County Deputies to Carry Opioid Overdose Antidote

Ohio County sheriff’s deputies are soon going to start carrying antidotes for opioid overdoses.

WTRF-TV reports that the Ohio County commission on Tuesday announced their approval for deputies to carry Naloxone, which reverses the symptoms of an opioid overdose.

All deputies with the sheriff’s office will receive training on how to administer the medication and how to identify the symptoms of an opioid overdose.

U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld says it is especially important for the Ohio County deputies to have the antidote because the county is in a rural area and deputies are oftentimes the first to the scene.

Federal funding will be used for the start-up costs.

Former Credit Union Chief Admits to Theft

The former executive director of the Ohio County Schools Public Credit Union has admitted embezzling $156,000 from it.

According to prosecutors, 65-year-old Kathleen Gramlich, of Valley Grove, took the money to pay personal debts from 2013 through 2016.

Gramlich pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft from a credit union.

As part of the plea deal, she agreed to forfeit any personal property to repay the money.

She was released pending sentencing.

Ohio, Monongalia Counties Tops in English, Math Test Scores

Preliminary results of 2016 standardized tests show students in Ohio and Monongalia counties led the way in English and math.

The scores released Wednesday by the state Department of Education show 58 percent of Ohio County students were proficient in English language arts, compared with 57 percent in Monongalia County. The state average was 47 percent.

In math, Monongalia County students were best with 43 percent proficiency, compared with Ohio County’s 40 percent. The statewide average was 30 percent.

Jefferson and Grant counties had the top science proficiency scores at 47 percent. Doddridge County was next at 46 percent. The average statewide was 36 percent.

Science tests were administered to students in grades 4, 6 and 10. Math and English tests were administered to students in grades 3 through 11.

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